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Notable points about Bacolod

1. Bacolod is famed worldwide for the MassKara Festival, where thousands don smiling masks in a vibrant celebration of resilience unique to this city alone.
2. Unlike most Philippine cities, Bacolod in Negros Occidental blends Spanish colonial charm with sugar baron-era mansions like The Ruins, making it a standout cultural hub.
3. Visit in October to catch the MassKara Festival in full swing, with cooler weather and a city-wide explosion of dance, parades, and dazzling costumes.
4. Bacolod is significantly more affordable than Manila or Cebu, with hearty meals under ₱150 and mid-range hotels starting at ₱1,200 per night.
5. Don’t miss joining a local family for a "boodle fight" — a communal kamayan-style meal laid out on banana leaves, especially popular during fiestas in Barangay Alijis.
6. Try the legendary Bacolod chicken inasal at Manokan Country near SM City Bacolod — a smoky, marinated grilled chicken dish that defines the city's food culture.
7. Getting around is easy via jeepneys and tricycles, but for comfort and convenience, Grab car service is widely used and inexpensive in Bacolod.
8. Explore the quiet forests and spring-fed pools of Mambukal Resort in Murcia, just an hour from Bacolod — a serene escape known mostly to locals.
9. Bacolod is safe and welcoming; locals speak fluent English, and visitors are warmly greeted with smiles — true to its nickname, “City of Smiles.”
10. Watching the sun set behind the Negros Occidental Capitol Lagoon, as locals dance, jog, and gather, is a perfect, soul-soothing Bacolod memory.

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